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Advisory Board - we are recruiting

We are currently recruiting members for our Advisory Board at the Centre for Neurodiversity at Work. (C4NDAW).

C4NDAW was founded in 2021 to provide an anchor for the thought leadership and groundbreaking research into neurodiversity at work spearheaded by Dr Nancy Doyle, Visiting Professor and Almuth McDowall. The Centre's overarching aim is to create research with theoretical integrity, methodological rigour and direct impact to practice at work. Our approach is rooted in co-production and we seek to represent diverse voices and perspectives in all our work. Our research output is strong, and we seek expertise on our Advisory Board to support progress to our next stage.

Having conducted stakeholder mapping with current Board Members, we seek membership from:

  • those with expertise in Health, Psychiatry, Clinical and Neuroscience research
  • those with expertise in law, particularly employment law concerning disability discrimination
  • those with expertise in career transitions from education
  • those with experience of success in research council bids and/ or good direct links to large UK funders.

If you feel you could offer an hour of your time, quarterly, as well as your attention, networking, guidance and potential collaboration to our Centre, please .

Applications are open until the end of June.

OUR PARTNERSHIPs

Neurodivergent people are disproportionately excluded from the workplace. In order to address this, the Centre for Neurodiversity at Work works in partnership with practitioners and employers to find practical, workable interventions and solutions.

Genius Within CIC

  • The Centre is led by Birkbeck’s Faculty of Business and Law and Genius Within CIC. These two organisations currently operate in partnership, through sponsored employee doctoral research programmes and providing field research opportunities for students.
  • The Centre and Genius Within are looking specifically at the effectiveness of coaching psychology support for neurodivergent applicants and employees. See our research output page for more details.
  • We are also working with Genius Within to explore the psychological contract between neurodivergent employees in neurotypical businesses to identify where mismatched expectations and social conventions might cause unnecessary conflict or misunderstanding. Read more from Genius Within in their funding statement.

Hays

  • We are delighted to be working with Hays, the global recruiter, to reduce barriers in selection methods. James Hallahan, Head of Technology Solutions (UK & I) tells us more about the importance of this project: "At Hays Recruitment we strive to be at the cutting edge of knowledge in our field. It's absolutely vital to have comprehensive and credible evidence on accessible, inclusive recruitment practice to support our work and our customers. By sponsoring the work of a neurodivergent PhD researcher to explore and evaluate what works best, we are investing in tomorrow's talent and driving the accumulation of practical, impactful knowledge."

Neurodiversity in business

  • We are working with the Neurodiversity in Business group, who represent the largest employers in the UK, to evaluate the effectiveness of current practice in making disability adjustments for this group.

MISSION AND ETHOS

The Centre was established to undertake research that is needed to inform interventions in the workplace that will maximise the mutual benefits of employing and retaining the untapped talent of the neurodiverse community. Typically, this includes the specialist thinking skills associated with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Tic Disorders. However, we are also interested in associated neurotypes such as learning disabilities, sensory processing disorder, anxiety and depression.

Why is this research so urgently needed?

  • 25% of the prison population meet the clinical criteria for ADHD (Young et al. 2018)
  • A third of long-term unemployed people are dyslexic (Jensen et al., 2000)
  • Less than a third of Autistic people are in work (ONS, 2019)

We believe that good organisational practice fosters diversity throughout the employment lifecycle and embraces difference. Our Advisory Board represents lived experience and professional expertise in disability law, human resources, psychology, research, technology, policy and management.

By joining forces, we are developing an evidence-based management approach to neurodiversity and to addressing the intersectional, social justice aspects of systemic inclusion.

We will effect change by developing interventions that work, which management feel confident to deliver and which enhance the prosperity and career opportunities of neurominorities.